You Have Some Federal Government Experience, but…..

Searching took up too much time
Thousands of new sales opportunities are posted every day – from simple products to complex services; from less than $3,000 to many millions of dollars. How can you find targeted opportunities for your small business more quickly and easily?

Plugging NAICS codes , Keywords, or Product/Service codes into an agency website will quickly get you inundated with opportunities – but then you have to read through each posting, trying to find that elusive needle in that very big haystack! Is there a better way?
Part of the answer lies in understanding the procurement process, and the competition requirements the agency must follow. How does the agency make these purchases, and how do they decide who will be awarded the contract?

Purchases below $3,000 (the Micro-Purchase Threshold) may be via a simple Purchase Order, or using a government purchase card(SmartPay). In these cases the Contracting Officer does not need to solicit formal offers.

For larger purchases the Contracting Officer must attempt to get three quotes from contractors, in order to meet competition requirements. Most purchases under $150,000 are set-aside for small businesses if at all possible.

Almost all federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000 are posted to the FedBizOpps website, where you can search for opportunities solicited by the entire federal contracting community. In addition, each federal agency will post procurements to their own site.

A Sources Sought, Request for Information, or Market Research posting indicates that the agency is asking for a response from businesses capable of performing the work or supplying the product. They may request a Capability Statement outlining your experience.
A Sole Source notice indicates that the agency is aware of only one company qualified to supply the product or service.

You couldn’t find the information you needed
Once you have found an opportunity that interests you, you must read through all the documents so that you fully understand the requirements. You should be able to find everything you need to know in the solicitation document – if you need clarification you may contact the Contracting Officer. Questions to consider:

For a Product: Does the agency require items from a specific manufacturer, or are you able to supply an equivalent item? Look out for the term “Brand Name or Equal”. Are specifications or drawings available, or is access restricted in some way? Are there specific packaging, marking or labeling requirements?

For a Service: The Statement of Work (SOW) gives you details of the work required. Many service-type bids require a Technical proposal,and information on Past Performance (examples of projects of a similar size and scope). The solicitation document will also give details of the Evaluation Criteria.

The paperwork looked overwhelming
At Sell2Gov we offer targeted, focused opportunity searches. We don’t simply plug in some codes and numbers and leave you to wade through it all! We find opportunities appropriate for your company, and collaborate with you to adjust the search parameters so we find that ‘sweet spot’ – the targeted opportunities that you can bid on, without being buried in RFQs that are only vaguely applicable to your company!

We work with you to understand the requirements, find any specifications or drawings you may need, explain the impact of various Federal Acquisition Regulations, help you to understand shipping and labeling requirements, collaborate with you to create your capability statement ,work with you to write a Technical Proposalif one is needed, clarify the submission requirements, and follow up on the proposal until it is awarded.

How We Can Help

Targeted Opportunities, from many federal government websites (not just FBO!)

Proposal Preparation and Advice

Technical Proposal Writing Assistance

Capability Statements

Explanation of Requirements, Regulations

Drawings, Specifications, and Standards, if available

Award tracking

Contact Us for help with all aspects of the competitive bidding process – including finding opportunities; understanding requirements; proposal preparation, Technical Proposal writing assistance; and market analysis.

You wonder if a GSA Contract is right for you
As a small business owner you may have heard of a “GSA Contract” or “GSA Schedule“, but what is it exactly? How does it work? Is it difficult to obtain? Is it worth your time and effort?

GSA contracts can be a great addition to your federal marketing toolbox – but not all products and services are appropriate for a GSA contract, and not all companies will automatically benefit from one. A GSA contract comes with no guarantee of sales.
The GSA Schedules program offers agencies a simplified way to purchase commercial products and services, for the best prices, from pre-approved vendors. The contract is:

A pre-negotiated contract between your company and GSA.

Awarded for an initial 5-years. Renewable for up to 20 years.

NO guarantee of sales. Minimum sales requirement of $25,000/year.

Offer GSA at least the same prices/terms as your best customer.

Benefits

Approved Vendor status gives an agency the confidence to purchase from you.

Stability: Valid for 5 years. Can be renewed up to a maximum of 20 years.

Catalog & Terms are posted to GSA Advantage! , where agencies can view details of what you offer, and make purchases directly.

Agencies have access to information about your products and services. GSA’s e-Library identifies you as an Approved Vendor.

E-Buy: RFQs posted to the e-Buy site are only available to GSA contract holders – these opportunities do not appear on FedBizOpps or other agency sites.

Market Research
Is the schedule program appropriate for your company? Are agencies purchasing via the GSA schedule program, or are they using other contract vehicles? Are your competitors selling via a GSA schedule? Can you be competitive?
At Sell2Gov we can help you understand if the GSA schedule program is appropriate for your company.

Don’t spend time and effort preparing and submitting the proposal without a clear understanding of how the contract works; its terms and conditions; how and when you can increase pricing; when you MUST decrease pricing; how to add or delete products and services; sales tracking and reporting requirements after award.

Once you have decided that pursuing a GSA contract is right for your company, we can work with you to prepare and submit your proposal, advise you during the final contract negotiation phase, and upload your formal GSA contract catalog after award. We also offer our services to keep your contract current and compliant, including contract modifications, and options.